


Compare and Contrast

by ironyruinedmylife



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Actual Dad Harry Wells, Barry Allen is an unreliable narrator, Cisco is Suffering, Earth-2 AU, God give Barry Allen the Strength, Hartley is Totally Cool with this, Killer Frost is not so much, M/M, Piper cannot Chill, Reverb is soft on his Piper, Reverb likes establishing his authority, The flirting is unreal, They are basically river and the doctor, Villainous boyfriends, Well not really, e1 Hartley Rathaway is a merciless little shit I love him, its in earth 2 mostly so, wall slamming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2016-05-25
Packaged: 2018-06-10 17:54:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6967195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironyruinedmylife/pseuds/ironyruinedmylife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Or in which Barry reconsiders his life choices, thinks Earth-2's aesthetic is on point but the villains make him feel Gross and Piper and Reverb have No Chill Whatsoever and like to make their co-villains uncomfortable via aggressive flirting.</p>
<p>Also Killer Frost is So Done With Piper Using Reverbs Soft Spot For him To Annoy Her It's Unreal</p>
            </blockquote>





	Compare and Contrast

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AlexiaBlackbriar13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexiaBlackbriar13/gifts).



> I'M SORRY
> 
> Ps: ALEXIA JOIN ME IN THE SIN BIN. LETS BURN TOGETHER HONEY NUT QUEERIO.
> 
> Sidenote: A note on the characterisations: Hartley is cold on the outside and sweet inside in E1 so I picture E2 him as acting cutesy and sweet but inside he has a hunk of ice shaped like a heart, he still has a moral compass he's just more motivated by how inefficient killing innocents is rather than the fact that they are innocents and people in the first place.

Barry really _wasn’t_ having a great day. After all the trouble of getting there, Earth Two had turned out to be a golden cage, it was pretty, everything _seemed_ wonderful when they had arrived, _well_ , beside the occasional villain who was apparently good? What was up with _that?_ But really everything had _looked_ rather positive.   
  
Until Joe had apparently decided to hate him.   
  
Even that he could handle, _barely_ , but he was on top of it.

Then everything had gone to shit.   
  
The doors had been flung open, and ice had crept over the floor to the click of heels. And dear _god_ that was _Caitlin_ and _Ronnie_ and _Hartley_ , they were all looking _really_ rather threatening, all things considered. Ronnie stood by the door, looking muscly and dangerous, while his two smaller companions slunk around the bar, Caitlin smirking and cold and blonde and _angry_ and everything his Caitlin wasn’t, Hartley seemingly fascinated with the people, and smiling as gently and reassuringly as Barry was sure his Hartley didn’t know how to at the more terrified looking patrons.   
  
Eventually Caitlin turned in a huff to face her lover “Baby, they won’t _talk_ to me.” She whined. Hartley caught her eye and raised an eyebrow  
  
“I wouldn’t try _anything_ , Frost. You know how he _hates_ a mess.” He warned in a voice like honey. This was all _wrong_. Caitlin wasn’t cruel and Hartley wasn’t naturally charming. Caitlin was soft words and knowing what to do and Hartley was jagged edges and kind eyes.   
  
_This wasn’t right._  
  
“ _You_ don’t make the calls, Piper, you’re only here cause he’s sweet on you.” Caitlin shot back, eyes narrowed. 'Piper' smiled sweetly at her  
  
“Mmm, yes, I suppose he is rather _soft_ on me. That does however mean that he’ll take _my_ word over yours, so I _suggest_ you back off, my dear.”   
  
Absently, while trying not to die, Barry wondered who ‘he’ was.   
  
He was more focused on the fact that this was _so_ fucking _wrong_ , Hartley and Caitlin _liked_ each other, they got along well. They traded coffees because Harry still didn’t know their orders well, they compared biology notes. They had gone to see an old french film together for gods sake. This was _so wrong_.

* * *

The confrontation went as well as it could have, and Barry had an odd feeling that he had only _just_ missed losing one of them. Joe certainly looked happy to survive, Barry knew that _he_ was.   
  
He didn’t mention the sick feeling in his chest to Cisco or Harry, mainly because he knew that Harry wouldn’t understand, and Cisco had enough to be dealing with. He didn’t mention how homesick he was despite only being here for a few hours. No, there was time for emotions _later_.   
  
However once they had come across Reverb, Barry wasn’t the _only_ one quietly losing his mind.   
  
Thanks to Harry having a _brain_ and firmly telling them off for "Even _considering_ direct confrontation, you irresponsible _children!_   Sit there and _think_ about what you just tried.", they were _not_ caught in a fight they couldn’t possibly win, instead they were hidden behind some crates, trying not to breathe too loudly and staring wide eyed at the man who had Cisco’s face but none of his warmth.  
  
“I could shatter your _entire_ nervous system without breaking a sweat.” And yep even this Caitlin did the weird lip thing when she was scared. That really wasn’t as comforting as Barry had hoped. And _oh god_ apparently even Piper was there, but surprisingly he seemed discomfortingly at ease with the Cisco That Wasn’t.  
  
“Come on, Cisquito, play _nicely_.” He purred, sauntering up to the taller man, just a little out of reach. Reverb raised an eyebrow at him  
  
“I would _remind_ you that I am your superior.” He stated, and Barry blinked as he realised that he really _was_ soft on Piper, there was a warmth in his voice that had _not_ been there before.  
  
“You’ve reminded me plenty, _Boss_ ,” Piper said, raising an eyebrow imperiously as Reverb began to back him into the wall of the warehouse. Beside him Cisco’s jaw clenched, and yeah, this was painful.   
  
“Perhaps it’s time for another lesson, then, my songbird.”  Reverb growled softly, continuing to advance on a rather pleased looking Piper. _His_ Cisco had his eyes tight shut and was grimacing, and _frankly_ Barry could relate. "And so _soon_ after the last one, too. I'm rather disappointed, Pipes,"

“Is this really important flirting? I feel we should be higher on the list.” Frost called.   
  
“Oh thank _god_.” Their Cisco murmured. Barry watched in silence as Reverb looked up from where he had been happily trapping Piper against the wall, the heat in his eyes fading to ice as he regarded the now nervous woman.   
  
Silently Barry prayed to god that this Pied Piper was more of a calming influence on this Cisco than theirs was. Or maybe that they would be too distracted fucking to commit any crime. The last one was looking _slightly_ more likely, considering the way Reverb glanced back at Piper with pure lust “Stay there.” He ordered. Piper smiled sweetly  
  
“Yessir.” He replied cheekily, tilting his head back to watch as Reverb made his way back to his other, less favoured employees.   
  
“Piper's been promoted. You two do _exactly_ what I say from now on or I _will_ call Zoom to deal with you. No detours, no personal agendas, if I have to so much as _consider_ that you’re betraying us, I will liquidise your organs from _miles_ away.” He stated coldly. The warehouse was silent, save for the short gasp that betrayed Frost’s humanity.  
  
“Now, _g_ _et out._ ” Reverb smiled with murder written in the lines of his face. The pair scarpered with fear chasing the sound of their footsteps as he watched them leave with detached interest. “Not you. You stay _right_ where you are.”   
  
Reverb hadn’t turned, just raised an eyebrow as Piper quickly flattened himself back against the wall.   
  
“A promotion, sir?” He asked quietly. Barry had his head in his hands at this point. Cisco was staring blankly into the crate in front of him.   
  
“You’ve always been my right hand man, its just official now.” And suddenly Reverb had turned back into a version of Cisco.   
  
“And Zoom approves?”  
  
“Zoom shares my soft spot where you’re concerned.” He chuckled in a familiar way that made the sick feeling in Barry’s chest return.  
  
“Oh?”   
  
“He likes your singing voice and thinks that you’re clever. Now, where were we?”

And _nope_.

Barry grabbed Cisco and sped them out of the warehouse as silently and quickly as he could. He did _not_ need his innocence further ruined.   
  
_Not today._

* * *

When they did eventually get back home, it was with a resounding chorus of mental ‘ _Fuck you_ , Earth Two!’s, however no one could really deny that they had been changed by the experience. It wasn’t necessarily a _bad_ thing, though. Or at least, not for Cisco, or Hartley, who had been looking scruffier than usual in an unnecessarily tight shirt and a pen hanging out of his mouth as he stared at them, clearly stunned by their sudden reappearance.   
  
“Hey, Cait! The nerd brigade is back!” He called, smiling at them. Barry grinned at him, and Harry had ruffled his hair and raised an eyebrow at the glaring boy  
  
“ _Very_ eloquent, Hartley.” He had stated. Hartley smiled sarcastically  
  
“Well, my high school english class didn’t call me William Shakesqueer for nothing,” He replied coolly. Harry hummed and moved away, joining Barry on his search for coffee. Cisco on the other hand, hung back, staring at the man that had somehow become his best friend.   
  
“Cisquito?” Hartley asked. Cisco snapped. He grabbed Hartley’s hand and began dragging him towards the nearest exit. “Cisco? Are you okay?”  Cisco stopped and stared at Hartley, who blinked up at him, confusing outlining the face Cisco had somehow come to love  
  
“You drive me _crazy_.” He stated. Hartley blinked  
  
“I’m sorry?”  
  
“No, _no_ , I mean, god this is _difficult_. Our Earth two counterparts were…together.” He offered. Hartley frowned  
  
“Like, _together_ together?”  
  
“What is this, high school? Like, _fucking_ and _relationship_ together.”   
  
“Oh.”  
  
“And I’d _really_ like to try that. Preferably soon, if you’ll have me?” He somehow managed not to stutter through the worst of it, hanging onto his dignity by a thread. Hartley stared at him, wide eyed, before a slow grin stretched over his face and the something tight in Cisco’s chest loosened.  
  
“Is that so? Well I _suppose_ , I could _possibly_ …” Cisco’s jaw clenched as he watched Hartley mercilessly needle him  
  
“Stop. Teasing.” He groaned. Hartley laughed  
  
“Okay then, Cisquito. We’ll try it. I’m _not_ just looking for sex, though, you should know that.”  
  
“Neither am I. I want date night Wednesdays and take out and a toothbrush in your bathroom. The full shebang.” He replied easily. Hartley smiled again, that one Cisco had only ever seen directed at Not Dr Wells, all _fond_ and _warm_ and Cisco couldn’t _wait_ to wake up next to this man.  
  
“Okay then, lets do this.” Cisco raised an eyebrow and Hartley groaned “No, _no_ , Cisco, don’t you _dare-_ ”  
  
“I’d really rather do _you_.” He leered as Hartley sighed deeply.  
  
“You’re _awful_.” He stated, then held up a hand as Cisco opened his mouth again  
  
“But not in bed.” Cisco laughed.  
  
“ _Oh my god._ ”  
  
“If you’d like.”

**Author's Note:**

> As usual, please leave me a review. I regret this so much, but the ridiculous flirting!VillainousBoyfriends!AU needed to be written and if I am the one to suffer through typing it then so fucking be it.


End file.
